What do you make of a book that everyone has already loved to shreds? How do you pick up those pieces and see what others saw before you? Hype has a way of bringing awareness to certain books. At the same time, it can negatively impact one’s enjoyment. Without the hype I wouldn’t have loved Lola and the Boy Next Door. With the hype, I came to feel indifferent.

It happened! I like a book precisely because of the romance. Of course there’re other factors involved but The Distance Between Us swept me off my feet. It was sweet, good light-hearted fun reading this book. I found so many reasons to laugh from the beginning right through to the end, which I loved. I like books that make me laugh. They’re such stress-relievers and wonderful distractions.

There Will Come a Time was such a great book for me. I know it’s supposed to be a very sad book as it deals with the the loss of a twin in a car crash. For what it’s worth though, I enjoyed There Will Come a Time very much. It was so moving due to the emotions that were palpable throughout the book.

Screaming Divas had a couple of elements that I particularly liked: music, friendship and diversity.

Music effectively tied all four main characters together despite all their differences. Trudy, Harumi, Cassie and Esther had very different musical backgrounds, yet they came together to form a punk band. Each one of the girls had something to bring to the table, which also led to a lot of conflict. I think that is one thing I particularly appreciated. They didn’t always get along, which added a facet of realness that I often find lacking in books.

Out of Tune is the last book I finished reading before the new year, and I am glad that it is also the last one I get to review this year because it’s a good book to remember the end of 2013 by. I thoroughly enjoyed it for the depth it offers alongside the roller…